Impero Nascosto
, Hueco Mundo Muramasa's Fortress | leader(s) = Akujin, Muramasa Neikan | senior member(s) = Aldolfo Benttino, Hirohito Shōwa | other members =Divisions: * Tiro con L'arco * Carabinieri * Regia Marina | affiliation = None | purpose = Destroy the & the | tblColour = Grey | textColour = Black }} The Impero Nascosto (仮面帝国 (隠された帝国), Kamen no Teikoku; Italian for "Hidden Empire", Japanese for "Masked Empire") is a group of mixed spiritual beings and the final antagonists of Bleach: Second Act. History Following the experiments of on the breaking of the barriers between Shinigami and Hollows; a group called the Order of the Visored appeared alongside the original Visored group. Following Akujin's defeat at the hands of Raian Getsueikirite, the Order became Suneku, under Seireitou Kawahiru, before declining and fading into obscurity. Soon after, a group of Visoreds under the now rogue Raian, called the Kinenbuke, arose and fell in a similar manner. It was not long after this that Akujin, who had survived his supposed death, gathered together the remnants of these former Visored and formed the Impero. The Impero remained in the shadows during Soul Society's war with Yāolù. Following Yāolù's defeat at the hands of Seireitou and Raian, Akujin swooped in and took the reigns of Yāolù's empire, naming himself the new Emperor and absorbing Yāolù into his Impero. With this, he could add pure Shinigami to his ranks. Following Yāolù's fall, its former leader, Sao Feng, was captured and arrested by Akujin, being placed in a prison located at Muramasa's Fortress. Following the destruction of the at the hands of Ichigo Kurosaki, the surviving Quincy were also approached by Akujin, allowing him to absorb them as well into his empire before he made plans to attack. Goal The goal of the Impero Nascosto is the merging of the plains of existence, allowing Akujin to become the supreme ruler of creation. Akujin plans to do this by having his army pierce each world's Heart of Hearts (心の心, Kokoro no kokoro), a massive amount of spiritual energy stored at the core of each realm. The shockwave created by the explosion of such a thing causes the world to shift and begin to meld with the next. Eventually, each world merges, allowing Akujin to rule from his throne as Supreme Ruler, invalidating the need for the . Organization Structure The Impero Nascosto is made up of several components, making it similar in format to the Gotei 13. There are multiple units with different purposes and specialties, though the exact number is unknown. The Impero is lead by an "Emperor", who directly controls the affairs of the entire army and its workings. As in the Gotei 13, and any army for that matter, the Impero has ranks to title its soldiers. The basic front line foot soldiers are simply known as soldiers. There are hundreds of thousands of these soldiers that make up the Impero's ranks. It is unknown how ranks are handed out to the soldiers of the Impero, but it is suspected that, like the Gotei 13, it is ability-based. Ranks The highest rank, other than those held by Akujin and Muramasa, is General (司令官, Shireikan). It is equivalent to the Gotei 13's Captain, and those with the rank are usually captain-level strength or stronger. A general leads one of the Impero's many separate divisions. Below the generals are the Halberds (ハルバード, Harubādo), which are the equivalents to the Gotei 13's lieutenants. However, unlike lieutenants in the Gotei 13, more than one halberd can be in a division. Halberds can have power ranging from that of a Shinigami lieutenant, to that of a captain. The common soldiers in the Impero are classified as Spears (スペア, Supea). Their power varies, as the Spears of Difesa Forza are close to Espada-level, while the Spears of Tiro con L'arco are at the level of seated officers. Phantoms (ファントム, Fantomu) is the name given to the strongest and most efficient fighter in a given division. To qualify as "phantom", a set of guidelines must be met. The individual is then given the title at the General's discretion. Phantoms are generally stealthy, cunning, and precise in their killings; making them a formidable foe for someone of any power level. Divisions Tiro con L'arco The Tiro con L'arco (射撃課 (アーチェリー), Tīrō con Lārcō; Italian for "Archery", Japanese for "Marksmanship Division") is a small division, composed of , within the Impero's army. It is lead by General Aldolfo Benttino and Halberd Celeste Agostino. This group is primarily responsible for long-range fighting, though several of its members can also handle themselves at close range. Carabinieri The Carabinieri (原応答大隊 (こくぼうフォース), Kārabinēri; Italian for "Arm of Carabineers", Japanese for "Primary Response Battalion") are the front line soldiers of the Impero Nascosto. It is composed entirely of plucked from Hueco Mundo after the Impero's conquest of the Hollow dimension. They specialize in attack and destruction. Most of the Arrancar in this division are known to be close to the level of an , making them particularly difficult opponents. Regia Marina The Regia Marina (世間曲げ軍 (イギリス海軍), Reijia Marina; Italian for "Royal Navy", Japanese for "World Bending Army") is a division of tasked with the infiltration and/or invasion of pocket dimensions that are not apart of Hueco Mundo, Soul Society, or the Human World. Hell and the are prime examples of such dimensions. Luna Brigata The Luna Brigata (天の騎士 (ルナ旅団), Runa Ryodan; Italian for "Moon Brigade", Japanese for "Celestial Knights") are the highest members of the empire, save Akujin and Muramasa themselves. Each member is stronger than an average captain by leaps and bounds; making them formidable opponents for the likes of the Gotei 13. Unlike the other divisions, the Luna Brigata are made up of a multitude of spiritual races. Headquarters The is based out of Yāolù, due to Akujin's conquests of the deteriorating Yāolù Empire following their defeat by Soul Society. For this reason, the Impero possess a large palace within the Yāolù. It also has control of in Hueco Mundo, having restored the demolished fortress after Aizen's defeat and the fall of the . The entirety of Hueco Mundo seems to be their domain, as they have troops and camps in all corners of the Hollow's realm. On top of that, a private base of operations exists beneath the sands of Hueco Mundo in the . The Impero also have a fortress in Soul Society, in one of its many large forests, which is run by Muramasa Neikan. It is primarily used as a place for Hollow-Shinigami experiments and other illegal activity. Protective Kidō has been placed around it and the surrounding forest to prevent the Gotei 13 from discovering it's location. Notable Members († = confirmed death) Uniforms No definite uniform has been determined as of yet for the Impero, however, the members of Tiro con L'arco seem to have a standardized uniform, which is a deviation of the normal attire; a white military hat with blue trim and the golden insignia of the Tiro con L'arco stamped upon it, a white high-collared military vest adorned with a golden seam running down the middle, which also possess an insignia of Tiro con L'arco on the left side, a white cape with blue trim, white trousers, and white military boots. Members also wears white gloves on their hands. Technology Former members of the brought their Bankai Ensnaring Devices (卍解籠絡設備, Bankai Rōraku Setsubi) which Muramasa Neikan, Impero Nascosto's chief scientist and second in command, reverse engineered to use for his own purposes. It is a convenient seal, taking the form of a badge, which can be used to block the Bankai of a Shinigami. Muramasa then mass-produced the badge, allowing it to be used by many of the members of the Impero Nascosto against their foes. He also modified it to allow the badge to have a similar effect on the Resurrección of an Arrancar. Muramasa also invented the Naigai (亡い骸, Dead Body), a type of gigai that allows for the resurrection of the dead to serve the Impero. He used this to unleash an army of famous dead , , and . Four War Powers The Four War Powers (四交戦権限, Yonkōsen Kengen), according to Akujin, are four beings that pose a significant threat to the Impero Nascosto's goals. The beings in question are the former members of the Yonkō; Raian Getsueikirite, Hikaru Kurosaki, Echo, and Seireitou Kawahiru. According to Akujin, each one has a power on par with, or greater than, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. In addition to that, they also have a special trait (Raian and Seireitou have Hollow reiatsu, Raian is a Jinki Fragment, Echo has demon power, and Hikaru is from the Kurosaki line) that allow them to resist the Bankai Ensnaring Device. Lastly, each of the Four War Powers have a Bankai that can rival Akujin's own Bankai in power. Akujin later reveals a strategy for getting around the War Powers' advantages by introducing a more advanced Bankai stealing medallion. Odo Marquard, a member of the Impero's Tiro con L'arco, was then able to successfully capture Seireitou Kawahiru's Bankai, however, it was short lived. Trivia * The uses an Italian motif. * The rank of "Emperor", in this situation, is based on that of the . * Each general of Impero Nascosto has a name based on a famous dictator. * The Quincy that make up the Impero often refer to it as the Third Reich (第三帝国, Daisanteikoku) as it is the third kingdom to have Quincy among its ranks. This is also the name of the German empire, in real life, that spawned . ** Ironically, the leader of the Quincy group within Impero Nascosto is named Adolfo Benttino, a play on Adolf Hitler's name. * The special rank, "Phantom", is based on the title given to Inferno's top sniper in . * Impero Nascoto's soundtrack, as chosen by the author, is Kurama Unleashed! from the Naruto Shippuden Original Soundtrack 3. Their actual theme is The Night by . See also * War of the Worlds